Novelist Stages Play About Alma Mahler's Marriage to Gustav

JH has adapted his novel "The Marriage: The Mahlers in New York" into a staged reading, performed at Colorado Mahlerfest on May 14, 2026. The play explores the relationship between composer Gustav Mahler and his wife Alma, focusing on the 20-page letter Mahler wrote to Alma in 1902 stipulating she give up composing. The production, directed by Jack Tamburri, features JH as Gustav and Esther van Zyl as Alma. It premiered at the University of Michigan on April 17, 2026, thanks to Kenneth Kiesler and Mark Clague. JH is now working on a one-hour version with live orchestra, incorporating half an hour of music. The play includes recorded musical excerpts and was performed without costumes or scenery as a staged reading.